Gibberings CIX: Faulty 'y' key? Or just high?

[Mental Kenny]

You don't want to move there!

Brussels is awesome and about x10000 times cooler than Melbourne. Honestly I don't understand what the fuss is about this place, when I was living in England I had so many people doing my head in about this city being like London but in the sun, they were having a laugh, this place is like Milton Keynes with a couple of skycrapers in the sun. The entire city center is smaller than Hackney, the city is big, true but it's all fucking suburbia.

There are a few good museums and the Aquarium is nice, but apart from that there's fuck all, music scene is terrible, the clubs are cheesy and overpriced, there's a few live venues with bands playing but pretty much any middle sized European city has better. Tons of drunk racist wankers every time you go out, prices are silly.

I mean really they say this place is one the main cities in the world but it's bullshit, I guess it's comparable in terms of things happening, vibe and lifestyle to a middle size American city like Baltimore or Portland, defnately not a NY.

Brussels is a great town, loved it every time I went there, I mean obviously given my previous field of emplyment and academic background it's the best place for me, but really:

-cheap amazingly good beers(vast selection too)
-I can watch football at a decent hour and not stay up all night to catch on a game
-I can get RCs delivered and not have to deal with twattish customs.
-On friday afternoon after work I can hop on a train and be in central Paris, Amsterdam or London within 2 hours.

The last aspect is probably what I miss the most, I mean last year alone I went to Brussels twice, four times to Paris and once to London. I always move around a lot when I'm in Europe, over here there's absolutely fuck all outside of the city, I don't hike, I don't give two shits about animals or nature, I don't surf, I don't dive. I need a cool wet rainy city where I can wear a suit go to work and get politely pissed on strong lager in a pub after work and where I can get mashed out of my mind on weekends and not have to spend like a grand on chemicals.

I'm glad I came here as I like to see things for myself and not trust other people's judgement, been a decent experience overall, met a few decent people too. Now I don't know whether to just come back skint or work so I can at least afford deposit/rent when I retreat back to the civilzed world

 

[Arnold]

No shortage of rain in Brussels, I'm just thinking..
-the government will royally fuck you up the arse with taxes (55% for a single person with no dependents)
-it's one of the dirtiest's cities I know off
-lots of weirdo's (brought up in a closet) and rednecks, plus a minority of cool people
-the music scene ain't as big as London but there is one at least I suppose
-1 in 5 is unemployed right now there so you have the added crime that comes with it plus the 'brussel's crime'.
etc...
The good thing about it is that you're out of the city centre within half an hour.

But given what you've just said about Melbourne it's looking good lol

 

[Mental Kenny]

^ Rednecks in Brussels? There's a billion bogans in here in Australia and they're much much worst than any hick I've met in the US.

Okay this place is clean and sanitized, it feels like walking around in a mall, but honestly I grew up in continental Europe, I don't have a problem jumping over dog shit and the occasional needle.

When it comes to taxes, well I'm hoping to get a job in the governance/policy/ field and quite a few of these jobs are tax exempt, I know as I've worked in the field before. Anyway wages are fairly decent there and taxes are pretty much as high all over Europe, 55% is lower than most of Scandinavia and pretty much the same as the rest of continental Europe.

 

[Arnold]

They're not lower than most of Scandinavia, equal or higher than I'd have said. It was a couple of years since I last checked up on it.
The only thing they have to show for it imo is a very good educational and unemployment training system.
Healthcare depends if you're a member of a healthcare union or not.

Yups sandals with socks wearing rednecks, die hard Christians just without guns or limited amount of them.

Good luck with interview anyways.

 

[Mental Kenny]

Yups sandals with socks wearing rednecks, die hard Christians just without guns or limited amount of them.

Good luck with interview anyways.

I wear sandals with socks and I'm a keen/avid target/clay shooter %), by the Belgian firearms are as fine as their chocolate and beer.

 

[Arnold]

You don't have your Christian values though as in anti gay/drugs rather racially backwards(generally speaking that is I'm with them on banning the niqab) being a snooty knobber etc.. (no homo here btw...)

Brussels does have this in it's favour I suppose.

 

[Mental Kenny]

^ Nice

 

[Marmalade]

up waaaay too early

 

[Ceres]

 

[maxalfie]

I've got an interview with an 'adviser' at the jobcentre in an hour.
Got no idea what its about just hope they aren't gonna be bastards to me, cos I'm in no mood today for any crap off a stranger.
Got all my paperwork together proving my job search efforts and think I'll have a shave so I look presentable at least.
May just pop a valium just to help me keep my cool.
Have a good day everybody.

 

[Myshkin]

Nice. :D

I've got an interview with an 'adviser' at the jobcentre in an hour.

I'm sure it'll be nothing to worry about, though if the valium will make it easier then go for it. Jobcentres are stressful enough places these days though. It's as if they're designed to be intimidating. Which may well be the case.

 

[brimz]

I'm no longer skint thank fuk . That was getting difficult .

I was getting by , but you can only rely on friends for so long .

 

[brimz]

^ Nice

Kenny what nationality are you mate ?

 

[YellowPolkaDotHalo]

Thats funny. But it doesn't actually say anywhere in the Bible that homosexuals should be stoned.

Bummer

 

[Myshkin]

But it doesn't actually say anywhere in the Bible that homosexuals should be stoned.

You're right -it doesn't specify the precise method:

If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Though throughout the rest of Leviticus, stoning to death seems to be the preferred option:

Psychics, wizards, and so on are to be stoned to death.

Shit...

Anyone who curses or blasphemes God, should be stoned to death by the community

Bollocks! 8(

So it's fair to say that whoever posted that knew their stuff to some extent. And then there's comic licence, of course.

 

[TheSpade]

I'm not really liking this place I think I should just raise enough funds so I can move. I've been sending a few job applications in Brussels, I have a skype interview arranged tomorrow, will be nighttime here, have to refrain form drinking before it.

I never visited Melbourne but everyone said it was the best of the Aussie cities, more European like and less wankers. Still doesn't sound that great. I wasn't sold on the rest of Aus. I loved some of the scenery I saw and activities that I did (snorkelling barrier reef, 4x4 trip on fraser island, whitsundays etc) but it's not a place I'd want to live. How long you been there for?

I've got an interview with an 'adviser' at the jobcentre in an hour.
Got no idea what its about just hope they aren't gonna be bastards to me, cos I'm in no mood today for any crap off a stranger.
Got all my paperwork together proving my job search efforts and think I'll have a shave so I look presentable at least.
May just pop a valium just to help me keep my cool.
Have a good day everybody.

I've had a couple with an advisor. It hasn't been any different from a normal sign on day except I saw a different person who just asked me how my job search was going, had a 2 minute chat, looked on his wee computer and said there were no jobs in the fields I was looking for and asked me to sign the sheet then I left. It was probably quicker than a normal sign on day and I didn't have to take in anything proving what jobs I'd been looking for. I don't think you need to start gubbing valiums tbh.

Jobcentres are stressful enough places these days though. It's as if they're designed to be intimidating. Which may well be the case.

If you get stressed by having to sit down, talk to someone for 2 minutes max, and sign a piece of paper then that's kinda worrying. The most intimidating thing is probably all the idiots and junkies cutting about. Even though it's supposed to be stricter these days and talk of people being forced into jobs etc I've found this time round they've actually been less demanding. Last time I signed on after just 2 months I was told I had to widen my job search and start looking for jobs in other areas and given a right hard time every time I signed on where as this time no one seems to give a fuck. They've accepted there's no jobs round here and just let you get on with being unemployed.

 

[Marmalade]

It's not always 2 minutes tho, often it's more and it very much depends on who processes you.

Job Center places can legitimately instill fear into even the toughest of souls on occasion Spade. If you've ever been involved in a fuck up with paperwork, or come into contact with a RoboCunt having a bad day and looking to show no mercy then it can be misery inducing. It can depend on a multitude of things in those places, from who you see and whether they're behind or whatnot, to just someone getting their arse kicked about targets. I know people who agree with you tho, regarding there being a bit of a general attitude shift towards backing off a bit, as my town has a much higher unemployment rate than the rest of the country too. But I wouldn't let your guard down or become complacent when visiting tbh, because that one time you go in ill prepaired might be the time they just step up a gear because they've got time to, or they've just had a staff meeting about targets or sticking to mandatory procedures or whatnot.


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Just had my blood sugar tested and the result was 5.4, way better than I thought it would be considering beer consumption. I stopped drinking westons in favour of really good beer instead (and in less volumes than I had been drinking too), so that's probably been a plus.

mailmonkey, if you see this, have you had yours tested yet?

 

[Myshkin]

If you get stressed by having to sit down, talk to someone for 2 minutes max, and sign a piece of paper then that's kinda worrying.

I don't, because I've not had to visit a jobcentre in nearly a decade (luckily). Plenty of people do find them intimidating, however.

Just had my blood sugar tested and the result was 5.4, way better than I thought it would be considering beer consumption. I stopped drinking westons in favour of really good beer instead so that's probably been a plus.

What's considered a 'normal' level? Are you diabetic (not meaning to be intrusive, like)?

 

[Marmalade]

wiki says 4.4 to 6.1 ..

I'm not diabetic but about 5 years ago I was measured at 6.9 which was borderline diabetic, but that was to do with diet.

I've kept it down ever since. And now I've only got 1 kidney it's kind of more important than before that it stays on the low side.

Got a script for Citalopram today too which I wont be taking. It's the first time I've been scripted for ADs for about 10 years. I can't see how it'll be any better than the 300mg of 5htp I've been taking for sleep and mood, and they can't be taken together so I'm not gonna use it.

[edit]
I've reduced my alcohol consumption vastly, I don't take any benzos or sleeping aids besides melatonin and 5htp, and recreationally I've pretty much been sticking to occasional use of shitalin, which is mainly just for focus and motivation. motivation has yet to be found however

 

[pinkpapaver]

i had an awful time with the job centre last year. as a single parent i'm in the target group for lets get them into work. i was getting treated like someone who had never worked. bitch adviser sanctioned me without telling me, she didn't know her stuff, told me i could get a crisis loan, which i couldn't. i applied for hardship, got passed from pillar to post while waiting for them to process it. i appealed the sanction. its al very long and it was bloody awful...incompetence is a word that springs to mind, and stupid, some of the people working in these places